History Of Jamaica

By Author: Jesse Henson
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The original inhabitants of the Jamaican islands were the Arawak Indians. After two hundred years of Spanish domination that began when Christopher Columbus arrived in May of 1494, the Arawak Indians were gone. Between 1509 and 1655 the the Spanish inhabited the island, and brought thousands upon thousands of African slaves. The British invaded the region in 1655 (Jamaica remained their colony until 1962) and the 18th century saw an expanded slave trade to fulfill the needs of large plantations. By the 1840s laborers were being imported from India in order to replace slaves who were freed in the British Empire's slavery ban, and many former slaves relocated to free settlements in Jamaica.

The British attracted new settlers to Jamaica by promising free lands, and soon the economy was booming because of the sugarcane plantations. Jamaica became the world's largest producer of sugar, producing nearly a quarter of the global supply during the 1700s. The British also produced vast amounts of cocoa and coffee for trading and there were many African slaves brought in to help the economy keep growing on the island. Slaves were ...
... not treated well during this period and that led to the numerous slave revolts in Jamaica, as occurred in other Caribbean locations. In the largest of the uprisings, 20,000 slaves revolted, killed many plantation owners and destroyed crops.

Another paradise
Jamaica, the third largest island in the Caribbean, sits some 90 miles south of Cuba and 550 miles south of Miami. It is a haven for tourists and travelers from all over the globe as it boasts some of the best beaches anywhere, especially on the north and west coasts. The island is mountainous in its interior, with the peak of the Blue Mountain range hitting 7,402 feet. The island is approximately 4250 miles long and 51 miles wide, and has the seventh largest natural harbor in the world.

People from Miami are lucky enough to be able to hop on board a short flight and get to Jamaica, where there are nearly 4500 square miles of beaches and tons of places to discover and explore. Not only is it the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean, it is the third largest English-speaking nation in the Western Hemisphere after the U.S. and Canada. Its population consists mainly of descendants of African blacks and Caribbean indigenous peoples, along with small East Indian, European and Chinese minorities. The high rates of intermarriage have produce a rainbow of skin colors in this island paradise.

Heavenly weather
The climate of Jamaica is, of course, tropical, with the usual heavy seasonal rainfall. There are crisp, beautiful sea breezes and the average temperatures are around 80 degrees. The weather here makes for the perfect vacation, with every imaginable fishing, snorkeling, boating and water sport on the long list of favorite pastimes for visitors and residents alike. Beaches are a major part of Jamaica's tourism, and many people fin the western Negril shores the best location for gorgeous sunsets and coral reef diving. The southern beaches in Jamaica are a great place with their vast, white sandy expanses. The beaches are the most popular among guests at the village of Negril, which boasts over seven miles of beaches. There are several resort areas that have their own mix of rugged coastline and spectacular white and black sand beaches.

The mild clime makes Jamaica a comfortable home for more than 200 species of wildlife including the "doctor bird," a lovely hummingbird that has become the national bird of the island. Surprisingly, there are no venomous reptiles on the island, but there are crocodiles and wild mongoose. Thankfully, the crocodile population is controlled and they are not allowed to roam freely. The island is also home to many beautiful plants and colorful flowers that cover the landscape as the tropical climate and the fertile soils allow for the growth of luscious and remarkable vegetation. Among some of the indigenous plant life there are mahogany, logwood, rosewood, ebony, palmetto palm, coconut palm and pimiento. Plantation owners also introduced such varieties as mango, breadfruit, banana and plantain, which continue to flourish and are widely cultivated. Ferns grow almost everywhere here as well. Jamaica is alive and fairly teeming with different types of animals and beautiful plant life.

Jamaica finally won its independence from England on August 6, 1962. Its people were proud to become a country with its own constitution, where the laws are administered by the people and for the people. Jamaicans now have the freedom, justice and equality that they had longed for, and have entered the community of nations as a proud and united country. It's not just a travel destination, but a great way of life.
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